CURRENT MISSION

To write many unforgettable songs whilst travelling the world!

ABOUT ME

I'm a multi-instrumentalist troubadour, travel addict, writer, teacher and vegan caterer who loves meeting new people.

** I don't live in Melbourne anymore. In fact, I don't really live anywhere. It's just me, a small backpack and a guitar. I work and then I travel more. If someone invites me to visit and I'm not far away, I will take you up on your offer! I will cook you a feast (see photo). I've spent most of my time in Athens over the past few years, so I guess you could say I 'live' there when I'm not working.

2014 is the year I made a major life change and decided to focus on music and more traveling. I have been busking and doing solo gigs wherever I end up. It's been challenging and hasn't always worked out, but I'm meeting fabulous people along the way and the experience and memories are priceless.

I moved to Europe in 2017 and perform solo in pubs in Greece, Denmark, Norway and Germany. I started a vegan catering business in Athens called 'Veganopoleio -- Tastes of the World' that I bring to the homes of people I visit around the world. I have also catered for community/charity events in Greece and Portugal and I write recipes for Greek gourmet food magazine 'Gefsignostis'.

My job for many years was running an after school music teaching business from home teaching piano, guitar, vocals, improvisation, songwriting and also coordinating rock bands for kids aged 10-15 years. I also did some casual relief teaching in primary schools.

PHILOSOPHY

Enjoy your work -- you spend many hours a day doing it so be passionate about it. We only have one life here on earth!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I joined CS when I was traveling through Africa in 2008. I hosted a few people when I got back, but I've been moving around a lot the last few years and haven't had my own place for a long time! If I had my own place, I'd love to host but for now, all I can offer hosts is a gift, a vegan meal, a musical performance and some honest company 🙂

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started CS when I traveled in Africa, so I hold a lot of fond memories from that time. This included staying in local communities away from the tourist trail and hanging out at a youth centre and learning about how it helped projects like this helped the local community. A recent CS experience that was great and lots of fun was in Cambodia. The host had a veg/vegan dinner on the rooftop of the apartment building he lived in and invited a mixture of surfers, expats and locals. The next day, we hired bicycles and rode for a few hours past rice fields and to a lookout point to watch a beautiful sunset.

Interests

Music! Live music and performing. Nature and philosophizing. Hanging out and chatting with new people and sharing a meal.

• human rights
• cooking
• vegan
• exercise
• walking
• traveling
• music
• live music
• guitar
• piano
• nature
• sustainability
• activism
• social activism
• vegan food
• vegan cooking
• sustainable living

Music, Movies, and Books

Music I like to listen to: Blues, Jazz, Rock, Soul, Funk, Latin, World, Malian, anything really! Bands/Musicians I like: Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, The Beatles, Radiohead, Sufjan Stevens, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Ben Harper, Ali Farke Toure, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Seu Jorge, RHCP, and much, much more. Um, the 90's rocked and so did anything before the turn of the century!

Film: I'm not great at remembering films! But I've worked for MIFF (Melbourne International Film Festival) so I dig arty stuff, documentaries, and foreign film. Films from my childhood (Back to the Future), comedies and thrillers with clever plots always get a thumbs up. 90's films are pretty cool too ;)

TV: don't own one. I prefer to watch TV series one episode after another on my laptop. Some of my faves include: Dexter, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, It's Always Sunny, The Office, Lucifer, Black Mirror, Breaking Bad, The IT Crowd, The Inbetweeners, Misfits, True Blood, Black Mirror and BBC docos are visually amazing (David Attenborough is da man).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Perhaps not amazing, but certainly crazy enough: I got on the wrong Greyhound after a lunch stop in Bakersfield, California (due to sleep-deprivation caused by Las Vegas). My luggage ended up in San Fran before I did. My journey involved hanging out with my new bus buddies in a bar and listening to one of them rap in an Aussie accent while waiting to catch our connecting bus. When I arrived in San Fran (in transit for about 24 hours), I slept the whole day and went out that night. I was walking down a quiet street and walked straight by a crime scene. Me and a murderer on the other side of the road. There were cops and guns everywhere. It was a crazy 36 hours. I wrote a song about it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have an admiration for those who have been able to bounce back from the hardships life throws at them. It's tough, and I also feel for those who find it difficult to exit the hardships too. More kindness, love and empathy is needed in this world. To people and animals. Don't underestimate its power.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My wit (I've been told I am funny), my songs (I wear my heart on my sleeve), my stories (I've had an adventurous crazy life thus far, and I can't see that changing), my creative cooking (vegan and tasty!) and of course my friendship :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mali, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Greece, Malaysia, United States